Dear editor,
Here’s why you should use an independent pharmacy:
Shorter wait times. According to a 2014 Consumer Report, 19 percent of customers of chain pharmacies said their prescription wasn’t ready when promised and 21 percent had long wait times. The same report said that only 7 percent of independent pharmacy customers said their prescription wasn’t ready and only 4 percent had a long wait. (Source: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2014/03/finding-the-right-pharmacy/index.htm)
More services offered. Chain pharmacies make their money by filling as many prescriptions as possible. Many have partnered with insurance plans to force patients to use their pharmacy. Independents focus on value by offering more services. These services often include delivery, patient charge accounts, compounding, durable medical goods, immunizations, point of care testing, medication therapy management, insurance consultations and more.
Individualized care and attention. Chain pharmacists may work up to 14-hour shifts with no pharmacist overlap and fill 300-plus prescriptions with only three to four technicians. How could any patient form a relationship with a pharmacist under those conditions? According to the National Community Pharmacists Association, independents employ an average of 2.8 full-time pharmacists and 3.3 full-time technicians (not to mention cashiers and other miscellaneous employees) to fill an average of 201 prescriptions per day. (Source: http://www.ncpanet.org/home/independent-pharmacy-today)
Accurate and knowledgeable. Independent pharmacies consistently rank at the top of the charts of customer satisfaction in every category. One Consumer Report ranked independent pharmacies No. 1 overall and they were given the highest rating in regard to speed and accuracy. (Source: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2013/01/best-drugstores/index.htm)
JUSTIN WEEKLEY
Milton
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: 4 reasons why you should use an independent pharmacy